Mental Health Skill-Building Services (MHSS)

MHSS Eligibility Criteria:

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Individuals must be 18 years or older and demonstrate a clinical need for this service arising from a condition due to mental, behavioral, or emotional illness which results in significant functional impairments in major life activities.

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1. Individuals 21 years and older shall meet all of the following criteria in order to be eligible to receive mental health skill-building services:

a. The individual shall have one of the following as a primary Axis I DSM diagnosis:

(1) Schizophrenia or other psychotic disorder as set out in the DSM,

(2) Major Depressive Disorder – Recurrent;

(3) Bipolar I; or Bipolar II;

(4) Any other Axis I mental health disorder that a physician has documented specific to the indentified individual within the past year to include all of the following:

(i) that is a serious mental illness; (ii) that results in severe and recurrent disability;

(iii) that produces functional limitations in the individual’s major life activities that are documented in the individual’s medical record, AND; (iv) that the individual requires individualized training in order to achieve or maintain independent living in the community.

b. The individual shall require individualized training in acquiring basic living skills such as symptom management; adherence to psychiatric and medication treatment plans; development and appropriate use of social skills and personal support system; personal hygiene; food preparation; or money management.

c. The individual shall have a prior history of any of the following: psychiatric hospitalization; residential crisis stabilization, Intensive Community Treatment (ICT) or Program of Assertive Community Treatment (PACT) services; placement in a psychiatric residential treatment facility (RTC Level C); or Temporary Detention Order (TDO) pursuant to the Code of Virginia §37.2- 809(B) evaluation as a result of decompensation related to serious mental illness.

d. The individual shall have had a prescription for anti-psychotic, mood stabilizing, or anti- depressant medications within the 12 months prior to the assessment date.

2. In addition to the above criteria, individuals 18-20 years of age shall be in an independent living situation or actively transitioning into an independent living situation. (If the individual is transitioning into an independent living situation, services shall only be authorized for up to six months prior to the date of transition). Independent living situation means a situation in which an individual, younger than 21 years of age, is not living with a parent or guardian or in a supervised setting and is providing his own financial support.